The moon above Flameheart Planet was a pale, ghostly silver, casting a dim glow over the silent Forgeblood Clan compound.
The forges had gone cold for the night, leaving only the rhythmic pulse of distant furnaces breathing softly beneath the earth.
In his secluded courtyard, Jin Taixuan sat cross-legged under the open sky, his breathing steady, his mind immersed deep within the ocean of stars inside his spirit sea.
The Heavenhammer floated above him, shimmering faintly like a sleeping giant.
Tonight, he wasn't just meditating.
He was unlocking secrets.
---
Inside his consciousness, the blue glyph from earlier pulsed with gentle insistence:
> [Legacy Protocol: Emberstorm Node - Activation Initiated (1%)]
As Taixuan reached toward it with his spiritual will, a sensation like plunging into an ancient furnace overwhelmed him. Visions flickered across his mind:
Vast starfields shattered by unimaginable weapons.
Colossal warships, ancient beyond reckoning, battling across burning galaxies.
Armored figures, each standing taller than mountains, wielding weapons forged from collapsed stars.
And at the center of it all:
A single warship.
Plain. Gray. Silent.
The Heavenhammer.
But not as it was now — no, it radiated a presence so vast, so primordial, that lesser starships disintegrated simply by being near it.
---
The visions faded, leaving Taixuan gasping for breath.
Sweat dripped from his forehead.
"What... was that?" he whispered.
His spirit sea pulsed again.
> [Basic Data Recovery: Completed.] [System Awakening: Emberstorm Node – 1% Functionality Available.]
Unlocking ability: Minor Stellar Core Compression.
A flood of information poured into his mind.
Minor Stellar Core Compression — an ancient foundational technique, once used by warship engineers in the Age of Cosmic Ruins.
It enhanced a warship's energy density, allowing small ships to punch above their weight and endure punishment like vessels ten times their size.
"This... this is priceless," Taixuan realized.
Even 1% activation of the Heavenhammer's original systems already placed him above many of his peers — but he knew better than to reveal it yet.
---
Morning came quickly.
The second day of the Tournament of Flames awaited, and with it, more battles, more scrutiny.
Taixuan rose with the dawn, wrapping himself in a plain dark-blue training robe, blending into the crowd of other young warriors.
The first few matches were uneventful. He continued his tactic of silent stability, winning each battle with precise, boring efficiency.
It wasn't until his sixth match that he sensed something... off.
---
His next opponent: Jin Zhanyun.
A rising star among the younger generation, hailed as a "hopeful" of the clan.
Unlike others, Zhanyun's awakening had been particularly strong — his warship, the Violet Sun Destroyer, was a mid-tier battleship with dual plasma cores, making him a top candidate to break into the elite squad.
The crowd buzzed with excitement as the match was announced.
"Tch. Branch family trash, huh?" Zhanyun sneered as they approached the field.
Taixuan said nothing. His face remained calm.
"Let's see if you're worth even one of my attacks," Zhanyun added, summoning his warship with a flourish.
The Violet Sun Destroyer roared into existence, its hull crackling with violet plasma arcs. Its presence was overwhelming compared to the simple, silent projection of Heavenhammer.
Some among the watching elders frowned slightly.
"Mismatch," someone murmured.
"That Taixuan boy might get seriously injured," another whispered.
But Taixuan wasn't worried.
---
The gong sounded.
Zhanyun wasted no time, firing twin plasma lances straight toward Taixuan's Heavenhammer.
The air in the arena twisted and cracked under the intense heat.
BOOM!
A blinding flash exploded as the plasma struck.
Dust and smoke filled the air, obscuring the field.
Spectators leaned forward, some shaking their heads already — expecting Taixuan to be knocked out in a single exchange.
But when the dust cleared—
The Heavenhammer remained.
Untouched.
A faint ripple shimmered around its hull — the product of Minor Stellar Core Compression, perfectly absorbing and diffusing the attack.
Taixuan exhaled slowly, one hand still behind his back.
He hadn't even moved.
---
Zhanyun's face twisted with disbelief.
"Impossible! Again!"
He roared, firing three more plasma strikes, weaving complex patterns meant to trap and crush.
But no matter how many times he attacked, the Heavenhammer absorbed each hit with the same eerie calm.
It was as if his attacks... simply didn't matter.
Panic began to creep into Zhanyun's eyes.
Meanwhile, Taixuan finally moved.
Not rushing. Not charging.
Just a steady advance.
One pulse.
One blast of concussive energy.
The Heavenhammer's main cannon hummed once — a deep, resonant sound like a slumbering giant turning in its sleep — and a single, focused impact struck the Violet Sun Destroyer's core shield.
CRACK!
The shield shattered like glass.
Zhanyun staggered backward, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth as his spirit-sea took damage.
Match over.
---
The crowd sat in stunned silence.
No one quite understood what had happened.
There had been no fancy moves.
No blinding speed.
No devastating power.
Only... inevitability.
Like a mountain falling on a leaf.
---
After a long pause, polite applause rose again, but this time, there were more eyes turning toward Jin Taixuan.
He could feel them.
Measuring him.
Speculating.
He had shown just enough — strength undeniable, but hidden beneath layers of subtlety.
Exactly as planned.
---
Later that evening,
In the secluded study chamber, his grandfather, Jin Wei, awaited him.
"Come," the old man said simply.
Taixuan knelt respectfully before him.
"You hid it well," Jin Wei said after a long pause, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Too well. They see you now — but they still underestimate you."
Taixuan nodded silently.
"Good," Jin Wei continued. "You must continue this path. Trust earned through fear is shallow. Trust earned through reliability is eternal."
The old man tapped his fingers on the table.
"Tomorrow," he said, voice low, "the final matches begin. After that... preparations will be made."
Taixuan's eyes sharpened. "Preparations?"
Jin Wei nodded.
"The family's main representatives are coming. Envoys from the Jin Main Family itself. They will observe the final day of the Tournament."
Taixuan's heart thudded once.
This was sooner than he had hoped.
"Keep steady," Jin Wei warned. "They must see potential. Promise. But not threat. Not yet."
"Understood," Taixuan said, bowing his head.
Inside his spirit sea, the Heavenhammer pulsed quietly — as if sensing the coming tides of fate.
---
That night,
as he sat once more beneath the stars, Jin Taixuan whispered to the vast sky:
"I will rise... but on my own terms. In my own time."
The Heavenhammer glowed faintly in silent agreement.
The game had begun.
And Jin Taixuan was no longer a mere player.
He was the hidden knife — the star yet unseen.